Bullet-proof shield.



A. SCHWARZ.

BULLET PROOF SHIELD APPLICATION FILED JULY B. 1915.

r A E Patented Nov 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I A. SCHWARZ.

BULLET PROOESHIELD. APPLICATION FILED JULY 8.1916.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916i 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

mmsggm 15 54/2677 5Zwrr2 UNITED: srnrns rnrrnirr OFFICE.

ALBERT SCHWABZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIR. OF ONE-TENTH TO FRANCIS A;

DOYLE, (DE-CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BULLET-PROOF SHIELD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT ,SonwARz, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hun- Speciflcation of Letters Pateift.

the Swedish steel sheets.

gary, who have declared my intention of steel or cloth may be used, when so desired, 5 becoming a citizen of the United States, re- 'wlthout departing from my invention.

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook A and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bullet roof Shields, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bullet-proof shields or jackets, and hasfor its object the provision of simple and efficient means for stopping and holding bullets fired from revolvers, rifles, and the like.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which is of minimum weight, and easily and quickly taken on and put ofi by a wearer.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of a shieldembodying' my invention with portions tornaway to expose underlying parts. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental section taken on a vertical line near the center of the shield. 3 is an enlarged fraginental portion shown in perspective; and, Fig. 4 is a view showing two of the shields of Fig. 1 attached together for use.

My invention is adapted to be worn by soldiers, and others'who are likely to come in the range of rifle and revolver shooting. it is adapted to catch a bullet from a rifle or revolver, stop the same, and prevent its rebounding or glancing.

My device consists essentially of a phi rality of hard stiff layers of material spaced apart by comparatively thick quilted or soft material, so that when a bullet pierces one of the hard layers, the impact of the bullet will not be transmitted directly to the next hard member, but part of the shock of the bullet will be taken up by the soft material before it engages the next hard layer. In

this manner, I find that a few comparatively thin layers of hard steel spaced apart by cloth fabric will effectively stop the most powerful rifle bullets now in use. In use,

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the form I have illustrated, comprises Patented Nov. '7, 1916.

Application filed m s, 1916. Serial to. 108,120.

a sack or envelop made up of a front sheet 5,

and a rear sheet 6. The front sheet 5 is outermost when the device is in use, and the sheet 6 next to the body of the wearer. The

bullet resisting material is placed in the seek or envelop and held therein by stitchings,

or in any other suitable manner. The bullet res sting material, as illustrated, comprises first adjacent the sheet 6, a layer made up of one or more thicknesses of woven wire form shown, two thicknesses of wire fabrics are used. The wire fabric-7 is preferably softiwire, such as is used for fly-screens, but may be of any other suitable or desirable fabric. The next layer of the'bullet resisting materialis a layer of sheet steel 9, preferably .of a single thickness, having a p1urality of turns of cloth wrapped around it forming a thick pad on each. of its sides. The pad 10 at one side of the sheet 9 is provided with quilting stitches 11, and the pad 12 at the other side of the sheet 9 is provided with stitches 13. The stitches 11 and 13 give the pads firmness and facilitate holding them in placel The sheet steel 9 is shown as being made up of two-pieces but it may be divided into as many pieces as desired. When the sheet steel 9 is divided into more than one piece, each piece is placed in an envelop 14 and the envelops secured together by stitchings to hold them in place.

The cracks between the pieces of sheet 9 are ering of cloth 17 inclosing a single thickness of wire fabric 18, similar to the wire fabrics 7, and athickness of padding 19 ofcotton batting, felt, or the like. The wire fabric 18 and padding 19 are held in proper position in the envelop 17 by means of quilting her. The steel member is made up of thin strips of springsteel woventogether so, that the woof strands touch each other in order to prevent forming openings between the I. woof and warp strands of the. fabric (see;

Fig. 3). The steel member 22, like sheet steel .9, may be made in a single member v reaching through the whole Shle1d. Or,"aS

I shown, made up of a plurality of narrow parts, disposed in edgeto edge relations, and

each of such parts having its covering 21 wrapped only around itself. The strips 22 are preferably thin spring steel having a maximum amount of resiliency and strength.

, The topmost layer of the bullet resisting 1 material; as illustrated; is made up of a' posed in overlapping relations and, each 1 plate wrafpped ina plurality of turns of ormin plurality of plates 23 of sheet metal discloth 24L pads on the sides of the ably considerably. thicker and morerigid than the metal in strips 22. It is not essential' that the plates 23 be pla cedin oven lapping relations but may be placed in the ations of'the parts 9 with 'stri' s overlapping the adjacent edges thereo 1 I c When a bullet is fired intoa shield of this kind, itpenetrates one: or more of the layers 7 according to the force exerted upon the billlet. In use a 45-caliber bullet fired from an army revolver or pistol'penetrates to a depth such as indicated in Fig. 2, as'at 25. Bullets of the sharp nose type fired from the high power rifles now in use penetrate to the sheet Steel 901' even fracture the, latter but do not have sufiicient force to reach woven strips 22 permit the latter to yield under theinfluence of a bullet, thereby greatly increasing their resisting power.

I claim p 1. A bullet-proof shield comprising a plurality of layers of hard sheet metal; la ers of metal wire fabric; and layers, of 0 0th fabric betweenv and spacin the layers of sheet metal and'layers of wire fabric apart.

metal plates.

2. A bullet-proof shield comprising highly tempered sheet metalplates, and a plurality of thicknesses of silk fabric between said The soft materials prevent' layer of steel 5 eets on sai 3. A bulletproof shield comprising aplurality of layers of. metallic material, certain of said layers being hard sheet metal plates and other of said layers being metal woven wire; :andlayers of tough material between said other layers of material.

4. A bullet-proof shield comprising a pin .rality of layers of metallic material, certain of said layers. being hard imperforate plates, other of said layers being woven rom strips :of hard metal and still other of said layers being woven wire fabric; and layers of cloth material between the metallic layers 1 5. A bullet-proof shield comprising layer of woven wire fabric; a layer of 4 highly tempered steel sheets: above the woven wire fabric; a layer offabric woven of strips of highly tempered steel above said steel sheets; a layer of highly tempered steel above said last mentioned fabric; and

zlayerof woven: wire fabric; .a layer" of l y r f, cloth material separating said metallic layers. P s The-stefiplates 23 and 9 are prefer n r 25 so I I highly tempered steel sheets above the :woven'wire fabric; a layer of wire fabric ab0ve said steel sheets; a layer of fabric woven from strips of highly tempered steel above said last mentioned wire fabric; a layer of highly tem ered steel plates above the fabric woven 0 said steel strips; and

layers of soft, tough material between an separating said metallic la ers.

'7. A bullet-proof shiel comprising a layer of stiff hard steel; a layer of cloth material under the steel layer; a layer of material made up of strips of spring steel under said cloth layer; a layer made up of flexible fabric and wadding material under the layer of spring steel stri s; and a layer of hard stiff steel under the. ayer of flexible fabric and wadding material. I

I 8. A bullet-proof shield comprisin a plurality of layers of sheet steel mem as a plurality of thicknesses of cloth fabrics between and separating the layers of steel; a layer of soft yieldin wadding under certain of the la ers of stee members; and a layer 3f wire 0 0th secured to one side of the wad- 9. A bullet-proof shield comprising a layer of woven wire fabric a cloth coverin on sa d wire fabric; a pad of quilted 'clot on said covering; a layer of hard stiff steel sheets on said pad; a quilted cloth pad on sa d steel sheets; a woven wire fabric on said last mentioned quilted cloth' pad; a layer of cotton wadding on said last mentioned woven ,wire fabric; a pad of cloth on said wadding; a layer of material made up of strips of spring steel woven together last mentloned cloth pad; a cloth pad on said last menfiat strips of metal; and layers of tough tioned steel sheets; and-an envelop.inclos--' cloth fabric between the layers of metal. ing all of the aforesaid parts. In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 10. A bullet-proof shield comprising a name to this specification on this 28th day 5 plurality of layers of metal, certain of said of June A. D. 1916.

layers being imperforate metal plates and other of said layers being Woven of thin ALBERT SCHWARZ. 

